Securing devices



July 19, 1966 A. H. MCFARLANE ET A1. 3,261,568

SECURING DEVICES Filed Nov. 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 19, 1966MOFARLANE ET AL 3,261,568

SECURING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1962 United StatesPatent 3,261,568 SECURING DEVICES Arthur Herbert McFarlane, Basildon,Essex, and Eric Herbert Sponge, Harold Hill, Essex, England, assignorsto Telefiex Products Limited, London, England, a company of GreatBritain and Northern Ireland Filed Nov. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 237,454Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov. 15, 1961, 40,902/ 61;June 14, 1962, 22,907/62 9 Claims. (Cl. 242-107.2)

The invention relates to securing devices. Examples of such securingdevices are safety belts or harnesses which are fitted to seats toprevent or limit movement of a person seated thereon during accelerationand deceleration of the seat and straps or other elongated flexiblemembers used to secure or hold articles in position, for example duringtransit of the articles.

One of the difficulties, particularly with seat straps in aircraft orother vehicles is that the buckle ends of the straps are either leftlying on the seat or are allowed to hang down. If left on the seat theyare uncomfortable to sit down on and not easy to withdraw when so seatedwhile if moved off the seat they drop between the seats and aredifiicult to retrieve.

It is usual to make the straps so that the lengths can be adjusted byeach individual occupant of the seat but the means for adjustment atpresent provided are often not easy to manipulate so that it notinfrequently happens in practice that the seat straps are not reallyproperly adjusted and are generally too loose, a fact which is notreadily noticeable to the eye.

The above disadvantages could be overcome by fitting inertia controlledtake-up reels for the straps but such equipment is expensive besidesadding considerable weight.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device whichwill overcome one or more of the above disadvantages.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractablerestraining device for use by passengers which is easy to extend andapply and which embodies locking means which automatically locks if thestrap is pulled by movement of the body to which it has been applied butdoes not lock when the strap is extended for applying to the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a safety harness aretractable strap or belt having two runs, or flights, a takeup reelfastened to a first one of said runs, and locking means responsive to apull on both runs for locking said first run.

The invention provides a safety harness assembly including a strap,strap fastening means on said strap and anchorable resilient take upmeans engaged with said strap said strap being connectible between ananchorage point and said resilient take up means wherein locking meansare provided which when actuated lock on said strap, the arrangementwhen assembled being such that when the fitting is unlocked the take-updevice will tend to move said fitting to a stowing position and whensaid fitting is locked or being pulled on the main strain will be takenby the anchorable end of the strap and not be transmitted to the endconnected to the take-up device. The strap preferably forms a loop withthe strap fastening means located at the end of said loop.

The invention provides, in another of its aspects, a lap belt for asafety belt or harness, comprising two assemblies each as aforesaid andadapted to be connected together by a single common two-part buckle orother fitting (hereinafter called a buckle) whereby when the belt isworn and two parts of the buckle are engaged and locked, the said strapsextend around the wearers waist and the buckle parts are locked to theanchorable ends of the straps.

Conveniently the common buckle may be constructed so that the shoulderstraps of a safety harness can be attached thereto.

The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and itsmethod of operation, together with additional objects and advantagesthereof will best be understood from the following detailed descriptionwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional side elevation of one form of takeupdevice made in accordance with the present invention and suitable foruse with a lap strap, the section being taken along line VIVI of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the device shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the parts in lockingposition; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but taken along line IXIX of FIG. 2,showing the arrangement of the spring.

Turning now to the construction shown in FIGS. 14 the take-up devicecomprises a frame formed by two side members 102 and 104 which aremirror images of each other joined together at the top by a band 106which may be moulded in a plastic material said band encircling theupper ends of the frames 102 and 104 and holding them in spacedrelation. The side members 102 and 104 may be joined at the bottom asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by a securing plate 108 provided with a hole 110for a fastening bolt. Alternative securing plates are shown at 109 inFIGS. 3 and 4. A transverse shaft 112 journalled by its ends in the sidemembers 102 and 104 constitute a take up reel to which one end of astrap 114 is secured (FIG. 1). Torsion springs 116 are secured to eachend of the shaft 112 (FIG. 2) by one end and the other ends of thesprings are connected to a transverse rod 118 (FIG. 4) the ends of whichare secured in levers 120 secured to the ends of a slotted transverseshaft 122 journalled in the side members 102 and 104. The other end ofthe strap 114 after passing over a roller in a buckle element (notshown) is secured to the transverse rod 118 thus forming two belt runsand a running bight 139. A fixed transverse locking bar 124 is securedby its ends in the side members 102 and 104 and lies close to theslotted shaft 122 just out of contact therewith forming a bite betweenits cylindrical surface and the surface of the slotted shaft 122. Aguide roller 126 is journalled by its ends in the side members 102 and104. The strap 114 is threaded through the slot in the shaft 122 and theguide roller 126 is so positioned that it maintains the outside face ofthe strap in line with the slot in the shaft 122 while the shaft is inthe unlocked position of FIG. 1 in spite of the changes in diameter ofthe roll of strap on the take up spindle 112. End caps 128 serve ascovers for the springs 116 and are slotted at 130 to pass the outer endsof the springs for attachment to the transverse rod 118.

In use assuming that the strap-locking parts are in the rest positionshown in FIG. 1 the strap can be drawn freely from the spindle 112 bypulling on the buckle element (not shown) since it is relatively free torun in the buckle and therefore the pull on both ends of the strap 114is equal. In consequence therefore there is no displacement of the lever120, which is held down by the spring 116. After the belt has beenfastened by the buckle the run of the belt attached to shaft 118 andthus to the spring is next to the body consequently any movement of thebody of the wearer will pull both runs of the belt simultaneously. Dueto friction with the body and between the two runs of the strap thiswill immedi ately rock the lever 120 turning the slotted shaft 122 andforcing the belt as it leaves the slot into the bite between the slottedshaft 122 and the fixed locking shafts 124 thereby locking the belt. thelocking effect.

The foregoing description is considered illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described and accordingly all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to which fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

What we claim and desire to secure by letters Patent is:

1. In a restraining device the combination comprising at least onestrap, means for mounting said strap to define at least two runs and onerunning bight in said strap, take-up means connected to only one run ofsaid strap and spaced from said bight, strap locking means operating onsaid one run between said take up means and said running bight,resilient means urging said strap locking means to the unlockedposition, actuating means for said strap locking means, and meansconnecting said actuating means to the other run of said strap.

2. A restraining device according to claim 1 wherein said resilientmeans comprises a coil spring one end of which is connected to saidtake-up means and the other to said actuating means.

3. A restraining device according to claim 1, wherein said actuatingmeans comprises a lever connected between said locking means and the endof said other run of said strap.

4. A restraining device according to claim 3 wherein said resilientmeans is connected between said take-up means and said lever.

5. A safety harness assembly including at least one strap, means formounting said strap to define at least one running bight in said strap,said mounting means including a frame, a transverse shaft journalled insaid frame to form a take-up reel for said strap, a slotted transverseguide shaft journalled in said frame, and a lever arm fastened at oneend to said slotted guide shaft; one end of said strap passing throughthe slot in said guide shaft and being connected to said take-up reeland the other end of said strap being fastened to the other end of saidlever arm; spring means mounted on said take-up reel tending to rotatesaid reel in a direction to cause said strap to be wound up on saidreel, and a locking bar adjacent said slotted guide shaft and mounted toform a Any increase in pull increases bite between its surface and thesurface of said slotted guide shaft, whereby upon rotation of saidslotted guide shaft said strap will be forced into said bite to lock thestrap.

6. The safety harness of claim 5 wherein said spring means comprises atorsion spring connected at one end to said take-up reel and at itsother end to said other end of said lever arm, whereby said torsionspring urges said lever arm against the pull of said strap.

7. In a restraining device the combination comprising at least onestrap, means including a frame for mounting said strap to define atleast two runs and one running bight in said strap, take-up meansconnected to one run of said strap and spaced from said bight,strap-locking means between said take-up means and said running bight,said strap-locking means comprising a slotted transverse guide shaftjournalled in said frame and a locking bar mounted adjacent said guideshaft to form a bite between its surface and the surface of said guideshaft, resilient means urging said strap-locking means to the unlockedposition, actuating means for said strap-locking means, and meansconnecting said actuating means to the other run of said strap.

8. A restraining device according to claim 7 wherein said actuatingmeans comprises a lever arm having first and second ends connected atits first end to said guide shaft for rotation therewith.

9. A restraining device according to claim 8, wherein said resilientmeans comprises a spring connected between said take-up means and saidsecond end of said lever arm.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,071,903 2/1937Shively 297388 2,725,097 11/ 1955 Thoreson 297388 2,843,335 7/1958 Hoven297388 2,939,519 6/1960 McCall 297388 2,971,730 2/1961 Martin.

3,020,089 2/1962 Monroe 297-388 3,059,300 10/1962 Noel 24134 3,065,02711/ 1962 Misslich 297-3 88 3,100,669 8/1963 Monroe 297-688 FRANCIS K.ZUGEL, Acting Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

J. S. PETRIE, R. B. FARLEY, Assistant Examiners.

1. IN A RESTRAINING DEVICE THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AT LEAST ONESTRAP, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID STRAP TO DEFINE AT LEAST TWO RUNS AND ONERUNNING BIGHT IN SAID STRAP, TAKE-UP MEANS CONNECTED TO ONLY ONE RUN OFSAID STRAP AND SPACED FROM SAID BIGHT, STRAP LOCKING MEANS OPERATING ONSAID ONE RUN BETWEEN TAKE UP MEANS AND SAID RUNNING BIGHT, RESILIENTMEANS URGING SAID STRAP LOCKING MEANS TO THE UNLOCKED POSITION,ACTUATING MEANS FOR SAID STRAP LOCKING MEANS, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAIDACTUATING MEANS TO THE OTHER RUN OF SAID STRAP.